Members of Congress Receiving Death Threats; Congresswoman Blames Sarah Palin's 'Rhetoric'

 I think that the anger and tension in America is building up for a LOT of reasons.  People are fed up, sick and tired, a war that has no end, an economy that is going down the tubes and many elected people just aren't appreciating that or addressing that.  The people of America are seeing a lot going out - and not much coming back.

Now, before everyone jumps all over me.  I am not excusing violence.  None of this makes me a right wing looney.   What I think Canadians fail to appreciate is just how much of a cultural difference the accepted approach to health care is in the States.  So much so, that we get all smug and look down our noses at them.  It's a divide between Canada and the US that is enormous.  And we can't approach the debate from the starting point of "their dangerous - they don't think like us..."

The US has been living in a growing hysteria at least since Senator McCarthy and his Unamerican Activities Committee.

INdeed, the US is almost unique in the world in having comittee with such a name. I have rarely, if ever, heard the terms Umcanadian or Unpolish or Unspanish. The people who oppose a certain view, then, are not just opponents. They are traitors, destroyers of some official vision of what America is.

Politicians have learned to prey on that hysteria ever since, so the people now widely accept torture, genocide, mass murder of civilians in war, domestic spyig, indefinite imprisonment with no charge or lawyer or trial, and a president who now officially has he right to have American abroad killed "on suspicion" - and the whole country goes into wild hysteria when a man on an airplane is found to have an explosive in this underwear. So they except airport restrictions which almost paralyze the airports.

Killiing is American as the stars and stripes. So these people are very dangerous. with not just  sympathizers like Coulter, but people high in political circles like Palin, and still other in congress.

I should be very surprised if we do not see political killings.

Some of t his hyseria is spilling over into Canada, as it was bound to.

It really shows how important identity is and the lengths to which people will go when that concept gets challenged. (I wonder how Canadians would respond if Harper decided to privitize the fed's share of medicare. Threats of general strikes maybe?) 

The US was founded (or at least expanded) on an idology of individualism - "I am self-made. I can do everything myself".  As a part of that philosophy, "government" in general (and the taxes required to carry out its responsibilities) was a bad idea. It's a philosophy that Harper has brandished before. It leads to the thinking that all cutbacks are OK because everything that government does is BAD anyhow.  (Except when it comes to war - guess what: you can't run a war on voluntary contributions!). Pooling resources (and that's what government health insurance is - the maximum pooling possible) runs counter to an individualistic identity because then I am dependent on others and on government. And the course of action to an individualist is to "take things in his own hands" - which rationalizes (in their minds) violence as the only remaining action available to the individual. 

I suspect this has very liuttle to do with health care reforms.

I suspect you'd see the same kind of polarity and rancour if they were voting on the next new colour of M&M's

I think we will see some deaths in the name of the constitution. I hope not.

Buddy of mine posted a quote by his friend.  Seemed appropriate:

'A "militia leader" named Mike Vanderboegh, called for the breaking of windows in Democratic Offices all over the country. It seems that people are answering his call. People that oppose Health Care Reform call President Obama a Nazi but they are engaged in their very own Crystal Night.'

Yes they were playing that clip all last night.

Am I the only one who found this statement funny - not in a ha ha way but in a "is this man delusional" way?

The US was born out of revolution.  As a nation,  they elevated armed response to mythic proportions and then are surprised that the people see it as appropriate.

LB - shaking her head

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

      John F. Kennedy

I've read that the Sarah Palin's FB visual(map of the US with crosshairs on certain democrats) is not illegal.  It is fairly obvious that it is immoral as it could (and probably has) incite violence in the current political climate.  I can't figure her out though.  She has gotten elected as governor, almost became VP of the US, is wildly famous but is she a lucky dimwit or totally lacking in empathy for whoever could be hurt?  A narcissistic numpty or a sociopath?

there was a scary quote iin the globe today.  Some republican stating that Sarah Palin the the party's best hope for the future.

Oh my God, can you imagine!

/we're looking at the last days of Rome.

Anyone care to take a stab at Palin?  Narcissistic numpty or sociopath?  Or something else?

I quite like that label "narcissistic numpy".........I am not sure if it fits her.........there certainly is a narcissistic quality to her......how do you define "numpy"?

I think we are looking at the fall of an empire, especially if Sarah Palin is their best hope. On so many levels. Scary.

And I heard today that Sarah Palin is campaigning with John McCain this weekend. Was the last Presidential campaign a game for the both of them and they want to start again?

From Wikipeadia

Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a personality disorder characterized by a pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking, including an excessive need for approval and inappropriate seductiveness, usually beginning in early adulthood. These individuals are lively, dramatic, enthusiastic, and flirtatious.

They may be inappropriately sexually provocative, express strong emotions with an impressionistic style, and be easily influenced by others. Associated features may include egocentrism, self-indulgence, continuous longing for appreciation, feelings that are easily hurt, and persistent manipulative behavior to achieve their own needs.

This is fun. Who can guess at the diagnoses for  Ann Coulter, or Stephen Harper, or Glenn Beck?

Beshpin, we agree. Though I think American democracy was never what it claimed to be, and certainly has all but vanished in recent decades. As a result, the whole nation is drowing in hatreds that few even understand. There's a strong possibility of widespread viiolence.

In the Nashville Tennessean there was an article about a guy picking up his 10 year old daughter from school. Some guy (a retiree) in an S.U.V. noticed his Obama-Biden bumper sticker. He began by yelling and swearing at him and flipping him the bird. Then he ran into him. The dad thought it was an accident and stopped intending to get out to check the damage, get insurance info, etc. Then the guy rammed him again, the young daughter obviously terrified. Luckily there were no physical injuries and Joe road rage now faces charges of two counts of reckless endangerment, driving under the influence, fleeing the scene of an accident, and refusing to take a field sobriety test. I did the math and the maximum sentence he could get is four years, thirty days, and no drivers license. Yes, alcohol was a big factor, but undeniably this is a result of what happens when the well is poisoned. I have very strong opinions myself, no two ways about it, but I can't imagine reaching a point where I think ramming someone with my car is a way to express that. That girl was the same age as my baby, I can't imagine. Kids have to be off-limits and the line of how we debate things has to be drawn far short of threats of violence and acts of violence. I've been hearing the term "isolated incident" so much lately the irony is palpable. I truly hope for something like this it really is isolated.

These people are very dangerous and it is impossible to reason with them.  They don't believe in freedom or democracy, no matter what they say to the contrary.

This raises questions about who is the "mastermind" behind this campaign of lies and violence.  Palin is a disgusting idiot and so are all her supporters.  The republican party is a cesspool and the United States is doomed as a "civilized society".

In the United States, they take all their politics too seriously.  They shoot their politicians while we just ding them on the Royal Canadian Air Farce, or This Hour Has Twenty Two Minutes, etc.  Unfortunately, they seem to be on a downward spiral that won't stop until it's done a lot of damage. 

In my opinion the US is a violent, ignorant nation - not that all its citizens fit those wrods but overall....

They have an unfortunate tendency to shoot their best leaders.  I hope Obama and his family are succesfully protected .

 Don't rule out the possibility that these "attacks" are staged events to invoke sympathy.  The Obama campaign vandalised itself in Denver in 2008 for the very same reason.  

http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_13203950

Granton, was it really a sanctioned "Obama campaign" or was it a 24 year old male throwing rocks through windows who happened to have collect $500 for going door to door for the Democrats 2 years ago?  Would he have canvassed for the Republicans if they paid $600?

LB - waxing rhetorically

He steps on stage and draws the sword of rhetoric, and when he is through, someone is lying wounded and thousands of others are either angry or consoled.

     Pete Hamill

I'm just saying it can't be ruled out.  

Health Care Issue aside, politics is rough and dirty on both sides.  The Dems rush and portray themselves as victims, and it puts a chill on anyone who might want to criticize them.  The focus shifts away from the Bill, and becomes one of "if you don't agree with us, you are apart of this violent mob."  It's a simple way to thwart any opposition.  Fox, CNN will love running stories about "violent extremists."  Meanwhile, people for whatever reason who don't like the bill - will get the message: Shut up!

Nor can it be ruled in.  The evidence of motivation is not clear and therefore the implication is empty rhetoric.

A far more effective way to thwart opposition is to deflect attention from the topic at hand.  Those employing empty rhetoric have no concrete argument and therefore start lobbing about non sequiturs like cherry bombs.  The debate then becomes clouded in billows of smoke and the logical argument gets trampled in the stampede.

I am fully aware that both sides do it and that the media drinks it up like frat boys at a keg party, but the viewing voting public could stop the whole sorry mess by saying "what a load of BS" and not get sucked into the manure pile. 

LB

Freedom has cost too much blood and agony to be relinquished at the cheap price of rhetoric. 
          Thomas Sowell

Alex - that disorder has another name,

Show Business.